1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for facsimile, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for facsimile which is capable of performing communications with data processing machines such as personal computers as well as communications with facsimile machines.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a so-called Internet facsimile apparatus, which is connected to a local area network linked to an Internet service provider through a dedicated line or through a dial-up function, has been used to provide at least a function of communicating an electronic mail on a local area network and on the Internet. The apparatus has also been used to perform a function of transmitting image information using an ordinary public line in accordance with a predetermined facsimile transmission procedure.
The use of such an Internet facsimile apparatus enables, for example, transmission of image information between a workstation (a personal computer or the like) connected to a local area network and a facsimile apparatus connected to an ordinary public line external to the workstation utilizing a relay function of the Internet facsimile, thus providing a very convenient service.
Also, when the Internet facsimile apparatus is connected to an Internet service provider through a dedicated line, the use of the relay function provided by the Internet facsimile apparatus is highly advantageous in that communication expenses can be largely reduced for image information communications between facsimile apparatuses located at remote sites from each other, because no extra rate is added for communication between the Internet facsimile apparatuses.
Generally, when an Internet facsimile apparatus is to communicate image information with a workstation connected to a local area network, or communicate image information with another Internet facsimile apparatus through the Internet, an electronic mail is used as its communication application.
The electronic mail utilizing the Internet, on the other hand, is subject to a data format, protocol and so on defined therefor. For example, each electronic mail should contain header information which includes a variety of significant information such as the mail address of an originating user (xe2x80x9cFromxe2x80x9d field), subject information indicative of the contents of the main text of information (xe2x80x9cSubjectxe2x80x9d field) and so on as well as the mail address of a destination user (xe2x80x9cToxe2x80x9d field).
With a conventional Internet facsimile apparatus, however, information inherent to the Internet facsimile apparatus is added to the xe2x80x9cFromxe2x80x9d field and the xe2x80x9cSubjectxe2x80x9d field in the header information of the electronic mail irrespective of the user who uses the Internet facsimile apparatus. Therefore, if a plurality of image information transmissions are delivered from the same Internet facsimile apparatus to a user, the user will receive a plurality of electronic mails which are only different in received date and time (or transmitted date and time) but have the same transmitter name and the same subject name.
Specifically, when the user of a workstation displays a list of received electronic mails, the contents as shown in FIG. 1, for example, are displayed on the screen of the workstation.
Thus, the user who has received a plurality of electronic mails from the same Internet facsimile apparatus cannot know the contents of the respective electronic mails from a list of electronic mails as shown in FIG. 1. If the user desires certain image information, the user must display the contents of all the electronic mails for finding the desired image information, thus experiencing an inconvenience.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a data processing apparatus which is operatively connected to a local area network, Internet, and a public telephone network, wherein the data processing apparatus is provided with at least functions of transmitting and receiving electronic mail on the local area network and the Internet and transmitting and receiving image information in accordance with a predetermined facsimile transmission procedure through the public telephone network. The data processing apparatus includes a transmitter unique information input mechanism that inputs transmitter unique information unique to a transmitter and a transmission controller which is operative when specified destination information is a mail address upon transmitting image information to transmit the image information using electronic mail. Further, the data processing apparatus includes an information controller which is operative when the contents of transmitter unique information input through the transmitter unique information input mechanism is a mail address to place the contents of the input transmitter unique information in a first specific field of the electronic mail, and operative when the contents of the transmitter unique information input through the transmitter unique information input mechanism is other than a mail address to place the contents of the transmitter unique information in a second specific field of the electronic mail.
The data processing apparatus may further include a mail attribute information input mechanism that inputs an attribute of a mail to be transmitted. If the data processing apparatus has a mail attribute information input mechanism, the information controller of the data processing apparatus may be operative when an attribute of a mail to be transmitted is input through the mail attribute information input mechanism to add the contents of the input attribute to the second specific field of the electronic mail.
Preferably, the predetermined facsimile transmission procedure is a Group 3 facsimile communications procedure.
Also, the first and second specific fields of the electronic mail are preferably From and Subject fields, respectively.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a data processing apparatus, operatively connected to a local area network, Internet, and a public telephone network, wherein the data processing apparatus is provided with at least functions of transmitting and receiving electronic mail on the local area network and the Internet and transmitting and receiving image information in accordance with a predetermined facsimile transmission procedure through the public telephone network. The data processing apparatus includes a dial shortening mechanism that specifies destination information with less key manipulations, wherein the dial shortening mechanism is additionally registered with transmitter unique information unique to a transmitter associated with the destination information when destination information is a mail address. The data processing apparatus further includes a transmission controller which is operative when destination information specified by the dial shortening mechanism is a mail address upon transmitting image information to transmit the image information using electronic mail. Further, the data processing apparatus includes an information controller which reads transmitter unique information associated with the destination information registered in the dial shortening means. Further, the information controller is operative when the contents of the read transmitter unique information is a mail address to place the contents of the read transmitter unique information in a first specific field of the electronic mail, and operative when the contents of the read transmitter unique information is other than a mail address to place the contents of the read transmitter unique information in a second specific field of the electronic mail.
The data processing apparatus may further include a mail attribute information input mechanism that inputs an attribute of a mail to be transmitted. If the data processing apparatus has a mail attribute information input mechanism, the information control mechanism is operative when an attribute of a mail to be transmitted is input through the mail attribute information input mechanism to add the contents of the input attribute to the second specific field of the electronic mail.
Preferably, the predetermined facsimile transmission procedure is a Group 3 facsimile communications procedure.
Also, the first and second specific fields of the electronic mail are preferably From and Subject fields, respectively.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for facsimile which includes the steps of operatively connecting a data processing apparatus to a local area network, Internet, and a public telephone network, and providing the data processing apparatus with at least functions of transmitting and receiving electronic mail on the local area network and the Internet and transmitting and receiving image information in accordance with a predetermined facsimile transmission procedure through the public telephone network. The method further includes the steps of inputting transmitter unique information unique to a transmitter, a first step of placing the contents of transmitter unique information in a first specific field of the electronic mail when the contents of transmitter unique information input in the transmitter unique information inputting step is a mail address, a second step of placing the contents of transmitter unique information in a second specific field of the electronic mail when the contents of transmitter unique information input in the transmitter unique information inputting step is other than a mail address, and transmitting the image information using electronic mail when specified destination information defines a mail address.